Press Releases
Washington, D.C. (January 25, 2021) — Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) recommitted to combating cross-border pollution by introducing the California New River Restoration Act along with Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman, Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36). Their legislation will require the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish the California New River Restoration Program.
Washington, DC (January 22, 2021) — This week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program beneficiaries are eligible for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), reversing a Trump Administration policy that made DACA recipients ineligible for the program.
Washington, DC (January 20, 2021) – Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) released the following statement on the historical inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris:
Washington, DC (January 15, 2021) – Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) released the following statement after sending a letter, along with Reps. Levin (CA-49) and Jacobs (CA-53), demanding that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stop border wall construction at Friendship Park.
Washington, DC (December 8, 2020) – Today, the House of Representatives passed S. 1811, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) which contains a section authored by Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) and Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) to strengthen the federal, state, and local partnership at the Salton Sea. This provision was also included in an earlier version of WRDA passed in July of this year.
Washington, D.C. (December 4, 2020)— The House and Senate have agreed to include Rep. Vargas' (CA-51) bill, H.R. 502 Fight Illicit Networks and Detect (FIND) Trafficking Act, in this year's National Defense Authorization Act.
Virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin, can be used for legal purchases. However, the anonymity associated with virtual currencies has led them to become a preferred financial payment method for criminal organizations.
Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2020) – Speaker Nancy Pelosi named Rep. Vargas (CA-51) to serve on a conference committee of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
NDAA conferees from the House and Senate will work together to resolve the key differences between the two defense authorization bills passed by each chamber this summer.
Washington, DC (November 19, 2020) – Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) released the following statement after joining Rep. Ruiz (CA-36) as an original cosponsor of H.R. 8775, the Salton Sea Public Health and Environmental Protection Act. The legislation would bring significant federal funding to the Salton Sea while streamlining projects; increasing coordination between local, state, and federal officials; and holding federal agencies accountable to their commitments at the Salton Sea.
Washington, D.C. (November 16, 2020) – Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-51) released the following statement after a federal judge ruled that Chad Wolf was unlawfully appointed as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting secretary. Subsequently, DHS lacked the authority to limit DACA applications and renewals.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the means in which the Trump administration ended DACA was illegal under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).
Washington, D.C. (October 28, 2020)— The National Park Service (NPS) will undertake a reconnaissance survey to recognize the national significance of Chicano Park and its murals as an affiliated area of the National Park System.